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With increasingly longer commuting times in the UK, Britons spend a considerable amount of time travelling to and from work. With 4 out of 5 people suffering with back and neck pains we are taking a closer look at how you can improve your driving posture.

Choosing the right vehicle
If you are tall, a small car might not work for you as it will simply not give you the space you need to achieve a correct posture. Most car seats are not designed for correct sitting posture; however adjustments to the seat and steering wheel allow you to adjust your position, reducing back and neck problems.

Your seat should be set back to around 100 degrees, as this will reduce pressure on your shoulder discs. Your headrest should be adjusted until it meets the back of your head and mirrors should also be adjusted so you have an excellent view through your rear window without having to wrangle yourself in all sorts of positions.

You should also position your seat so you can reach the steering wheel slightly bent at an angle of 120 degrees whilst driving. Keep both hands on the wheel making sure that you have the 9 and 3 o’ clock position, giving you the best leverage on the wheel.

And probably needless to say having frequent breaks at least every two hours or so will also prevent back and neck aches, making sure to stretch whilst you have a break.

On 8 March, Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced significant changes that will affect UK motorists in the 2017 Budget. Below we list all of the changes and how this may affect you:

Fuel Duty
Fuel Duty has been frozen under Theresa May’s Tory government, which making it the 8th consecutive year without a change. Fuel Duty is currently at 57.95p per litre with the Treasury receiving a further 20% through VAT.
Vehicle Excises Duty
There are no changes to Vehicle Excise Duty which comes into force on 1 April. Read our previous blog post on what VED means for you here.

Clearer terms and conditions
The government has also announced a crackdown on dubious and unclear terms and conditions on finance and insurance contracts to protect consumers against unexpected fees.

Road improvements
The chancellor has made £90m available for the North and £23m for the Midlands to fund transport projects. £690m has been made available to local authorities to improve congestion in urban development areas. The chancellor made no comment on the poor condition the roads are in.

Investment in automotive
Hammond announced £270m to keep Britain at the forefront of disruptive technology, on for example driverless cars and robotics. This has been welcomed by industry experts since several car manufacturers are worried what will happen post Brexit.
What do you think of the 2017 budget?